Graphics: 3
After seeing great graphical masterpieces on Nintendo's consoles such as Luigi's Mansion or SSB Melee, I'm not very easily impressed. Wii Sports does not impress me, especially for Nintendo's fifth generation console. The Miis are 3-dimensional shapes put together to make a humaniod. The baseball crowd is... pixels. There's a lot to be improved on in the graphics department. However, the tiny details stop this from being a bad rating. There are many tiny details in each Mii's face that gives it a distinct look. I still think one looks so close to Shigero Miyamoto, it's scary. Also, some of the scenery in the Golf mode is very good. The trees and grass look great, but my favorite is when you hit your ball off of a cliff into a huge pool of water. It's beautiful, to say the least. Not breathtaking in the graphics department, but passable.
Sound: 2
The sounds are... very basic. There's decent sound effects, but I expected those. There's no real music to the game. The overall soundbase is bland. There are just no memorable sounds to be heard. Comparing this to other sports games, this game's music is mediocre.
Controls: 5
Wow. Just wow. This is one of those pick-up-and-play games with good enough controls to teach a person who hasn't played a video game in their life how to play. Moving the Wii-mote in specific ways makes your character hit a ball, roll a ball, pitch, or punch. Occasionally, you'll have to press a button to make your character do something specific, but one measly button doesn't affect gameplay much at all. The controls are surprisingly sensitive; any movement will most likely be picked up in a matter of nanoseconds. This is as good as a sports game's controls could get.
Modes
Wii Sports has
some pretty good modes in it. It is a collection of five sports: Tennis,
Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing. I'll go in-depth on each.
Tennis: 3 1/2
Tennis is the most basic of the games for Wii Sports. Swinging the Wii-mote when the ball passes the Mii you control is all that's required. The Miis do the running for you. Excellent for beginning gamers and getting used to the Wii-mote. It's very engaging and will probably keep your attention for a while. However, I can't say it's without flaws. Sometimes, your Mii will be too far away to return a shot. This isn't really your fault, but the other team still gets a point. Also, I just don't feel as... engaged with Tennis as the other games. It just doesn't feel quite as smooth or as fun as the others. For that, Tennis gets a three.
Baseball: 4
Baseball is the second-most complex mode in this game, and that's not saying much. Getting the controls down is extremely simple. Batting is as simple as swinging the Wii-mote. Pitching is just swinging the Wii-mote over your head in an arch shape, possibly pressing the A or B button. Very simple. This mode is very engaging, and hitting the ball is very fun. Each pitch feels very natural. Also, if you have any Miis that aren't being used, they'll automatically join one of the two teams. Three innings was a great length, not too long and not too short. The only kink in this game's armor is fielding. It's automatic, and sometimes your computer-controlled teammates will make a dumb mistake, giving the other team a double or tripple. However, I do like that the fielders don't throw to the bases so that throwing errors aren't a problem. Overall a great mode.
Bowling: 5
My personal favorite, Wii Sports Bowling is the best bowling experience I ever had, including actual bowling! Holding B while swinging the ball forward starts rolling the ball down the lane. This bowling is much more forgiving and easy than actual bowling. (My first Strike!) A really nice feature is that tilting the Wii-mote left or right before you release the ball puts spin on it, which is really helpful in some cases. Gutter balls are rare and pretty hard to do. I can't really find a way to criticize this mode, and it's the most engaging and fun. I'd suggest this mode to any and all.
Golf: 2
The most graphically-impressive mode is, in my opinion, the worst. It could be that some golf is boring, but I just don't fell engaged or excited with this one. Sometimes, my Wii-mote freaks out and hits the ball when I'm trying to do a backswing. Also, swinging the Wii-mote too hard causes the ball to swerve, and wind sometimes blows the ball. I just find it very annoying to have a great shot set up, and then completely lose it because I swung slightly too hard, or the wind blows it out-of-bounds. It's just not as fun or as interesting as the other modes.
Boxing: 3 1/2
Boxing is the only mode that requires the Wii-mote Nunchuck attachment. Both the Nunchuck and the Wii-mote control one of your boxing gloves. Tilting both left or right makes you dodge in that direction, and raising both up does a quick block. This mode can be very fun and frantic at times. It keeps you fully engaged and entertained. However, it's not as responsive as the other modes. Rapid-fire punches might not work, and the dodging is sometimes difficult to work out. Your opponent is usually very good at these skills, so it's sometimes unbalanced. This is a great multiplayer experience, though.
Overall Modes: 3 1/2
A very good selection. A bit more variety would've been nice, but this is good.
Fun Factor!: 4
A very fun game in most of the modes. A stupid computer in Tennis or Baseball could be disappointing, and Golf has its share of bad moments. Overall, the game is very good.
Replayability: 3
Not many unlocks to strive for, but still fun to occasionally play. I don't suggest playing it for hours on end, though. It's more of an "if-you-feel-like-it" game. In multiplayer, though, this could last for days.
OVERALL: 3 1/2
A good game with its share of flaws, Wii Sports is at least worth checking out. Of course, if you get a Wii, you'll be getting this whether you want it or not, so enjoy it. I suggest playing it in groups, or just whenever you feel like it. And with that, *pow* this ends.
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